The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-05-27
LONDON CITY.
Some Interesting Facts About Its
People, Pageants and Politics.

The examination into the political methods
of the corporation Of London is bringing
out great many very curious facts. The
city of London is only the heart Of the great
city. The gresta qEondon which has grown
around it is managed mostly by the vestries
of the various parishes. Parties seeking a
franchise for a tramway or any other public
improvement have to work their way from
par0chial body to parochial body. But it is
not with the greater London outside the old
city that we are now concerned. There were
life and energy in the ancient city. The
Lord mayor was parsonage whom the
reigning King often sought to propitiate
There were the train-bands who could be
assembled with greater rapidity than the
scattered retainers of the old Barons. They
were always ready for an emergency, we
are bound to believe, though they often
proved to be indifferent soldiers. The prem
tlce boys indulged in frequent scrimmages
Full many shutter was wrenched from its
hinges and many watchman sent home
with broken head.
That old London ever did much to promote
the cause of freedom may be doubted The
aid it lent to John Wilkes in his struggle for
the liberty Of the press has, however, to be
set over to its credit. But the Londen of
today exhibits only galvanized sort of life
The men who do business in it no longer re-
side in it. 1t Is, for the most part, city Of
oAACub dl 1uc DODutaLlOn
from which it derives whatever political life
it possesses is not only transient, but careless
OF what is done in its name. There is annu-
ally a Lord Mayors show. Dinners and
turtle soup abound. There is great and reg
ular guZZling, but very little of what might
be called genuine and far-seeing govern
ment. This kernel of London, SO to speak.
is endowed with lots of valuable privileges.
1t has percentage on all the wine and coal
that come not only within its own borders,
M a q ira or in fha NJ. =
tricts surrounding it. Every person in the
big aggregation that goes by the name of
London, who lights fire or buys bottle of
wine, contributes something to that munich
pal masquerade that is carried on in the city
proper
The guilds into which the old city was ori-
ginally divided, were richly endowed BY sue
cessive grants of land in Ireland; mostly
in Ulster. These lands were wrested from
the native proprietors, mostly for alleged
enable the various guilds to provide for their
sick or disabled members. They cover a
large portion of the Irish province to which
reference has eeen made, and embrace en-
tirely the. town of Coleraine. But the
guilds as living and active industrial organ
lsms have totally disappeared. A State
| form Of charity has superseded this local
system The craftsman who now becomes
sick or disabled and unable to support him
self goes to the poor house. But the honor
| dblC IlonHiOuSClo NOulpdul, Illt uOHOI-
able the Diapers company, the honorable
| the P0ulterers, company and long list of
| other honorable companies consume the
| trust funds derived from Ireland, and eat
| hearty dinners in the magnificent halls
which they have erected. Occasionally as a
| sort of conscience money they do contribute
| a small sum for charitable uses. Two of
| these companies some time ago sold out and
| divided the proceeds among themselves pret-
| ty much after the fashion of our Dashaways
| A bill has been introduced in Parliament to
| sequester the who lot. but the corporation
| Of London has been too strong for the re-
formers.
From these facts we begin to get glim-
mering idea OF the reasons why the city of
London Is always SO strongly Tory in its
| political leanings 1t is from the Liberals
| that danger to the existing monopolies is
mostly to sbe apprehended. That it has to
light for the artificial life which it alone
possesses is the natural result Of the extern
sion Of the electoral franchise. Its annual
| pageantries are fast becoming the subject of
| derision. The loss of members of Parlia-
| ment which it suffered in the late redistribu-
tion. Of seats in the House Of Commons
weakened greatly its powers Of resistance.
| The investigation which is now in progress
| reveals that it is with money that it carries
| Its points mostly in Parliament. 1t is also
| 10un1 getting up bogus associations for the
purpose of misleading public sentiment.
| When things get to be unmanageable it has
| not been above employing roughs to break
up meetings. There does not appear to be
any general system of auditing the accounts
| OF the corporation. As consequence large
sums may be spent for Legitimate purposes.
| One OF the witnesses recently examined
stated that ION some occasions expendi.
ture OF confidential nature has taken place
wlth respect to opposing or promoting bills
In Parliament, where the city's interests
were materially concerned" The witness
added: 1t is generally understood that petit
tions presentedsto Parliament and expires
sions Of popular opinion are more powerful
IL the hand is not seen which is moving that
agency"
What the city of London fears and fights
is the proposed charter placing all LOndoT
under one government. With this would
come the loss of the Guild trust funds, anC
the special taxes, duties and privileges now
enjoyed. But, worse still, the real people OF
London would appear on the scene and man
age the affairs of their great municipality
themselves. The non residents of the pres
ent city Of London have had, beyond ques-
usual street phrase. There has been practical
lysno supervision over what they have been
dolng. When this fact is taken in eonnec
tlon with vast expenditures, the Imagination
mas large field to run over. Probably |!
an could be laid bare. it would be found tina
New fork is not the lawful example" OF
loosely-governed cities. Many methods thai
we nave Deen considering quite new anC
lIesh nave been In operation in London fol
centuries. The keys of the city may have
o1ten been surrendered to the king in page
antry, but the keys of the city's strong-bOl
/ aN.st. .nI